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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28988871">Strangers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nayika/pseuds/nayika'>nayika</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sen Çal Kapımı (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Memory Loss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:48:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,284</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28988871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nayika/pseuds/nayika</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Serkan wakes up from a coma and doesn't remember or recognise Eda. He muses at what secrets are being kept from him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Serkan Bolat/Eda Yildiz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set after episode 28.</p><p>Serkan's plane had an accident. He was immediately found but in a coma in hospital for 2 months.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Serkan you need to talk to Eda.’</p><p>He rolled his eyes and put down the report he'd been reading, 'and say what Anne? She’s a stranger to me.’</p><p>‘She’s your…’</p><p>‘Yes, yes, I know! She’s my fiancée. You keep telling me. And Engin keeps telling me. And Seyfi, and Leyla, and Erdem!’ He gestured exasperatedly, ‘but have any of you told Eda? She seems to have missed the message. She doesn’t seem very fiancée-like to me. I can’t force her to talk to me if she doesn’t want to.’ Serkan felt his head begin to throb at the temples, an almost daily occurrence since he’d woken up from his coma.</p><p>‘She loves you so much Serkan, you don’t understand. The past few months have been torturous for us all but especially her. You finally waking up after two months and then not even remembering her? It must just be so overwhelming. She probably doesn’t know how to react.’ Aydan pressed a polaroid photo into his hand, ‘please, now that you’re feeling better just talk to her. You’ll see why you love her so much. And I’m sure she has her reasons’</p><p>Serkan watched his mother leaving the room before he looked down at the photo in his hand. They were outside, him wearing a suit and her wearing a yellow dress. He tried to force a memory to the surface but there was nothing. She was pretty, undeniably pretty but he couldn’t see anything else. He should look at her picture and feel something shouldn’t he? If he was on the verge of marriage, almost at the altar even. But there wasn’t.</p><p>There had been nothing for a month. The last thing he could even remember was some vague meeting he’d attended in March. Then he’d woken up in the hospital, was immediately surrounded by doctors and nurses who then left to give way to family, friends and strangers. The strangers seemed to outnumber his friends. A man around his age, beaming with relief. A slightly older woman looking at him misty eyed and praising god for his regained health. Three bubbly and excitable young women hugging each other and jumping for joy. And then her. </p><p>He didn’t even see her face at first, just felt himself get winded as a dark-haired whirlwind rushed at him, flung her arms around him and buried her head in his neck, drowning it with tears. He’d almost recoiled from her touch but something about the feel of her body against his and the smell of her perfume stopped him pushing her away instantly. She eventually unwrapped herself from him and taken his face in her hands. He hadn’t been able to pay any attention to what she was saying though because he’d been struck by just how beautiful she was. Even beneath the tears, her eyes sparkled, and her smile seemed to go right through his chest. </p><p>But she was still a stranger. He didn’t know her, or these other people and said as much. Her horror had been evident, her eyes refilled with tears and she’d rushed out of the room, strange women - even his own friend Piril – trailing after her. Then the bombardment had begun: she was his fiancée, hours away from being his wife, the others were her friends, family – hours away from being his family, how could he not remember? Ferit: his ex girlfriend’s ex fiancé but current boyfriend of Serkan’s fiancee’s friend and also his own friend. March 2021. Piril and Engin married. His parents divorced, father in the Bahamas, recently jailed for fraud and…. </p><p>It was too much. The pressure inside his head had been too much and to his own embarrassment later he’d fainted.</p><p>There had only been familiar faces at the hospital since that day, his mother, Seyfi, Piril and Engin in infinite combinations. No matter the combination however, they weren’t forthcoming with any further information. They maintained he was engaged to this ‘Eda’, he loved her very much apparently and would regret wasted time when his memory returned and that was all they were willing to say. </p><p>But it had now been a month. He’d been home for three weeks and visiting the office part-time for two. He’d been curious and intrigued to meet his fiancée, find out what mysteries she held and what magic had drawn him to her enough to propose and plan a wedding in the span of 6 months. She however seemed in no hurry to meet again. There’d been no visits. To the hospital or the house.</p><p>He couldn’t go to her, had no idea where she lived, although a quick google search had revealed her surname and some interesting videos of the two of them. Serkan didn’t know Eda but he knew himself. There was something he hadn’t been told. In the video where she kissed him in the middle of a press conference he could tell he was surprised, surprised by her presence or just the kiss? And then at the end he was angry, dragged her away by the hand. Why? The second video, with Selin and Ferit, was strange all around. Past Serkan was saying all the right words a man in love should say but present Serkan didn’t quite feel the conviction.</p><p>Was everyone in some conspiracy, hiding something from him? There was definitely something he wasn’t being told about his relationship with Eda. He’d finally seen her this week at the office, unmistakeable dark hair flowing down her back. He took steps towards her but as soon as she saw him, she turned around and bolted. And now here was his mother telling him he needed to speak to her as if he was the one avoiding her.</p><p>If he was supposedly in love and engaged to someone who had a life-threatening aeroplane accident, was in a coma for 2 months and then woke up with memory loss he would be making a damn sight more effort to see that person. He wouldn’t let them out of his sight. </p><p>He looked at the photo again. They looked happy but there was always something underneath the surface. Their smiles were just slightly too tight, their bodies slightly too far away from each other. He tapped it against his knee thoughtfully and wondered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Serkan adds 2 + 2 and makes 4 and a half.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments/kudos are very much appreciated! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She wasn’t at work, which added another layer of conviction to Serkan’s beliefs. He would never have fallen in love with someone who didn’t take work seriously, took days off when she felt like it. Especially from a business she was now apparently a partner in. Another thing he hadn’t had explained to him.</p><p>‘Engin, come to my office,’ he called behind him, dismissing Leyla and beginning to walk up the stairs. Even his office seemed unfamiliar to him. Documents and pens weren’t where he expected them, his chair felt uncomfortable and the room too dark, too closed and too far away from the main floor and all the workers.  </p><p>He hesitated when he held the office door for Engin and Ferit followed behind. It was strange to think that Ferit knew so much about him and his life when Serkan only knew his name. Well and that he was going out with one of Eda’s friends. Serkan didn’t trust him entirely though.</p><p>In the year he’d lost his life had changed so much. It was probably organic, a natural change but to Serkan looking at it from an outsider’s perspective it was inconceivable. He’d spent the night awake last night thinking. From the few details his mother had told him – still hesitant to overload him with information lest he should regress in his recovery – their lives were completely different and all because of Eda. His mother could leave the house, she had friends – a social life – enjoyment from life she hadn’t experienced since his brother’s death. As for himself he was no longer a hypochondriac or a workaholic.</p><p>Even his friends’ lives had changed in the time he lost, Engin and Piril were married. Happily. It seemed to Serkan their friendship had also improved. They’d always stayed friends, since university, but Serkan could remember last year thinking that seeing the two of them at work was enough to maintain a friendship. Now in this new year, this new life he could tell it wouldn’t be enough. They came over almost every day and they talked, ate and reminisced and he realised he’d missed this in the past couple of years. He’d missed being friends with them instead of just colleagues.</p><p>Serkan liked what he heard about this new life. He didn’t want it to change, but maybe it had to. Maybe he’d been living a lie for a year. </p><p>‘Abicim how are you? You know you don’t need to come to the office every day until you’re feeling better,’ Engin gave him a reassuring pat on his back and sat down on the couch. Ferit did the same, pat and all.</p><p>He leaned against the desk looking down on them both, ‘no I’m feeling fine but honestly I didn’t come to work, I came to see Eda.’</p><p>A nervous look passed between the two couch-mates and Serkan shifted forward eagerly. Maybe they knew, maybe his suspicions would be confirmed.</p><p>Ferit broke first, ‘are you sure Serkan, are you feeling up to it? I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’</p><p>This irritated Serkan, this stranger - this interloper even - claimed to be his friend but wouldn’t support him. ‘Yes, she’s my fiancée isn’t she? Don’t I have a right to speak to her?’</p><p>Engin stood up quickly in defence, defence of who Serkan wasn’t quite sure, ‘Serkan, of course you can speak to her, you should. We just… What are you going to say? You don’t want to upset her do you or…’ a hopeful look grew on his face ‘do you remember Serkan? Do you remember Eda?’</p><p>Serkan brushed him away and paced to the other side of the room ‘No, I don’t remember anything. I just want to talk! Maybe if we talk, I’ll remember. I don’t even know what kind of relationship we had because none of you will tell me anything.’</p><p>‘We just don’t want you to get…’</p><p>‘Overwhelmed! I know!’ </p><p>Engin sighed, ‘Abicim, it’s hard, we know, but your memory will come back. You should rest until it does. And when it does, you’ll see… Eda… She loves you so much, you both love each other so much you won’t want to be apart for a second.’</p><p>Serkan sat down on the couch and sighed in frustration. He looked up at the two men. His two friends. Engin was being genuine, no hint of duplicity in his face at all. Not that Serkan believed Engin capable of duplicity. So Engin at least believed Serkan, that other Serkan he’d been for the past year’ truly loved Eda and Eda truly loved him. He turned his head slightly to look at Ferit. Ferit – his ex girlfriend’s ex fiancé. </p><p>He thought about himself, his character. Would he really have been that petty? Yes, was the answer. He hated losing. Would go to any lengths not to lose face. However, he couldn’t fully understand his own motivations if he was correct. Ferit was now with Ceren, that he knew, but Selin’s whereabouts were unconfirmed. He’d only been told that she had quit as PR Representative. It made no sense. Not a lot did. </p><p>Would he have done that? Done what the pictures suggested, what the videos suggested. That tension in their faces, their bodies, the way they held themselves.  A fake relationship?</p><p>A fake relationship he could understand. A fake fiancée even. But would he have gone so far as to fake a wedding to spite his ex when that ex didn’t even seem to be around anymore? Maybe that was where the secret lay. Maybe he hadn’t been going to a meeting in Italy on his wedding day, maybe there was something else? Was he going to see Selin? </p><p>Serkan knew himself. He knew what kind of man he was. It was possible, but was it true? If it was true, Engin definitely didn’t know about it. So that meant only one person did: Eda.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Serkan visits Eda and starts to have a couple of flashes of memory.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Having wrestled the address from an unwilling Engin Serkan found himself hesitant to leave the taxi and actually knock on her door. He took a calming, meditative breath and stepped out. The deep breath he’d taken left his lungs immediately as image after image of standing in the same place flooded his mind: Kissing Eda on the cheek, standing next to her, looking up at her leaving the gate, entering the gate, image after image after image.</p><p>Then they were gone. He couldn’t call them back. Closed his eyes and tried to picture the scenes again but they weren’t real memories anymore. He was forcing the images and distorting them in his attempts. He couldn’t recreate their exact expressions, their exact positions, their exact clothing. </p><p>The taxi driver sounding his horn further down the road brought his attention back to the stairs again. He took another breath and started climbing. </p><p>The door was opened by a woman he knew as Melek. She’d been at the hospital and also she’d been by Eda’s side that day at the office. </p><p>‘Eniste!’ Melek began excitedly until she caught sight of Serkan’s frown and raised eyebrow ‘I mean… Serkan… Serkan bey. What are you doing here?’</p><p>‘I came to see you… my…. Eda, is she here?’</p><p>Melek looked up towards the stairs worriedly. ‘She’s upstairs, sleeping.’</p><p>‘She’s asleep?’ It was almost afternoon and even though he didn’t know her at all he could instinctively tell this was unusual behaviour.  </p><p>‘No, I mean, she went up to her room, she probably isn’t asleep though. She has trouble sleeping at night, so we usually try and make her have a nap during the day.’</p><p>Serkan could see concern for her friend on Melek’s face. He felt it himself too, a sudden restlessness he couldn’t explain. A desire to urgently see Eda and ensure she was fit, healthy and well rested. ‘Can I go up?’</p><p>Melek hesitated, ‘Ayfer Abla wouldn’t like it,’ she continued talking it seemed to herself rather than Serkan, ‘but she’s with Fifi at the florist, they won’t be home for hours. She’ll never know. Oh but Eda might not want to see you, no of course she should see you though. You should talk, yes, you should.’ She smiled, apparently satisfied with her decision. ‘Go on up Eniste.’</p><p>Serkan was now the one hesitating. He took a step inside and then turned back to Melek, ‘Which is her room? I haven’t..’</p><p>‘First on the left!’</p><p>The door was ajar and he chose to forego the knock and open it slightly to ascertain the situation. She was indeed sleeping. Serkan had the momentary wild idea of kissing her awake as if they were in a fairy tale. He shook his head and rolled his eyes before he took a small step inside. </p><p>Immediately he noticed there was a picture of him on the wall, although the face was scarred over from clearly having been used as a dart board. He ran his fingers over the pockmarks bemusedly. Were these signs of hatred and frustration recent? Had they been made in the past month? The rest of the wall covered in pictures, ticket stubs and some beautiful drawings. He stepped closer and looked at a couple in detail. if she’d done these herself, she was genuinely talented. </p><p>A certificate caught his eye, she’d had a star named after her. Did she also have an interest in astronomy? That would be an interesting development. He took out his phone and looked up the co-ordinates for her star - a minor star near Sirius. He turned to look at her, still sleeping, and his eyes narrowed. Why was everything so confusing?</p><p>The guitar pick almost took his breath away. It was his, he was certain, but it was in her house, in her bedroom. Which meant he’d played for her. Told her about his brother even? He blinked as an image of Eda smiling widely and holding the pick flashed in front of his eyes. The image was gone as soon as it had arrived. Serkan ran a hand over his face, trying to clear up his cloudy thoughts. </p><p>He moved back towards the bed and sat down next to her. She was beautiful. He felt an involuntary tightening in his abdomen and trousers. He’d seen her sleeping before his brain provided a shaky and all too quick kaleidoscope of her besides him, sometimes on top of him. She didn’t appear to be sleeping peacefully this time though. Her forehead was wrinkled, there were dark shadows beneath her eyes and her left hand was tense grasping the duvet while she occasionally mumbled unintelligibly. </p><p>Serkan stood up immediately, backing away from the bed. </p><p>‘Serkan?’ Her eyes, those intense and dark eyes he remembered from the hospital, orientated themselves to the room and she was looking at him quizzically. </p><p>Serkan looked around the room, trying not to notice how beautiful she looked, even when she’d just woken up and grasped for something to say. ‘Erm.. Did I give you that?’ he pointed at the star certificate on the wall vaguely. </p><p>Her expression changed immediately. Her features hardened and she sat up in bed. ‘What are you doing here? Get out. Get out of my room, get out now!’</p><p>Her voice had risen and Serkan threw up his hands to show he didn’t mean any harm. ‘Look, calm down. I just think we should talk. You don’t need to get angry I just want…’ </p><p>‘What? What do you want?’ She was getting out of bed now, hurriedly putting on a robe over her long unclothed legs that Serkan couldn’t help but admire. His admiration broken only by the feel of two small hands pushing with a lot more pressure than he would have expected against his chest and he stumbled backwards. </p><p>‘Why shouldn’t I be angry?’ she screamed at him, ‘I didn’t promise! I didn’t promise not to be angry, but you did Serkan! You promised! You promised me you’d come straight back! You promised me you’d always love me, nothing could keep you away from me, you made so many promises and you broke every single one!’</p><p>She’d said everything in one breath, and before he could even register her words fully, he saw her tear-filled eyes fluttering and her legs swaying. He moved before he had time to think, it was instinct almost and he caught her before she fell. It was muscle memory. This had happened before, she’d fainted before, he’d caught her before. His body knew it, his body knew this woman, his brain just hadn’t caught up with him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eda leaves Serkan a note.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Serkan had barely slept again, all night he’d been thinking about Eda and trying to force his brain to bring some memories to the surface. There were some but they were all brief intangible flashes he couldn’t hold onto for more than a few seconds. There was also now an increasing feel of panic in the pit of his stomach. He was desperate to remember, desperate to speak to Eda.</p><p>Melek had sent him away last night, apparently Eda fell asleep when stressed and it was nothing to worry about. That didn’t stop him worrying though. He wanted to call, wanted to know how she was but didn’t anticipate a warm response. </p><p>He didn’t doubt the reality of their relationship anymore. Eda’s pain had been palpable, he felt every single word she’d spoken in his heart, in his soul. They’d been in love and he’d disappointed her, broken promises and caused her inconceivable pain. He wanted to ease that pain, hold her in his arms until she stopped feeling it but didn’t know how any of that could happen unless he regained his memories.</p><p>A knock at the door interrupted him and Serkan panicked. What if it was Eda? He quickly sat up and looked in the mirror, trying to make himself look presentable. </p><p>It was Seyfi. Serkan’s shoulders sank.</p><p>‘Eda hanim sent this,’ Seyfi held out an envelope but Serkan had already pushed past him towards the stairs.</p><p>‘Eda’s here? Where is she? Has she gone?’</p><p>‘She’s not here. Melo dropped this off.’</p><p>Serkan stopped halfway and pursed his lips in frustration. ‘Give it to me.’ He snatched the envelope and slammed the door as he went back to sit on his bed. </p><p>Serkan,</p><p>I can’t stay here anymore. This is so much more painful for me. When you were in hospital, I was so certain you’d wake up and that kept me going. I never lost hope. But now it breaks my heart every time you look at me with those blank eyes.</p><p>You’re the other half of my soul, the owner of my heart and the man I’ll be in love with all my life. I can’t bear it when you look at me like I’m a stranger. </p><p>When.. If you ever get your memory back come and find me. I’ll be waiting for you. I’ll always be waiting for you. I promise.</p><p>Look at me with your heart, not your eyes. </p><p> </p><p>Eda</p><p>Serkan’s heart dropped. All those memories he’d been struggling to grasp flooded his mind, his body and his soul. Eda. His Eda. How could she ever be a stranger to him? How could he have not remembered her? Their first meeting, the handcuffs, the first time she’d kissed him, when she’d proposed… it was too powerful. He’d never been kicked in the stomach before, but he couldn’t imagine it was worse than this.</p><p>The most overwhelming was the feeling of love and absolute pain. The fact that he’d caused Eda even a moment’s pain was killing him inside. He got dressed as humanly fast as he could imagine. He hoped he’d be in time to catch her at her house instead of another taxi chase.  </p><p>He knocked impatiently, bouncing from one leg to the other. Ayfer opened the door, ‘is Eda here? Has she left? Where has she gone?’ He tried to look past her and called inside ‘Eda!’ Eda!’</p><p>‘Serkan, what are you doing here? Eda doesn’t want to see you. Why can’t you understand?</p><p>Serkan began to speak and explain himself when he caught sight of Eda coming down the stairs. It was like he hadn’t seen her in years, she was thin, too thin, her eyes sunken and her face pale with months of anxiety and worry. His heart ached for her and the pain he’d put her through.</p><p>‘Serkan I…’</p><p>He didn’t give her a chance to talk as she approached the door but stepped past Ayfer and threw his arms around Eda crushing her to his chest. He buried his head against her hair and inhaled deeply. He had so much to say but in that moment, feeling her body against him, feeling like he’d finally come home, feeling at peace for the first time since he’d woken up, he found himself unable to speak.</p><p>She pushed against his chest away from him and he saw her eyes flashing angrily at him. ‘What do you think you’re…’ she began but then stopped almost immediately and Serkan felt her body stiffen in his arms. ‘Serkan…?’</p><p>‘I’m sorry,’ it was pathetic. He’d wanted to begin with something romantic, sweep her off her feet all over again but it was all he could say. She was deserving of a thousand apologies. She was completely right: he’d promised to love her forever and never leave her and instead he’d done the opposite.</p><p>‘Serkan do you…’ she hesitated and he could see her eyes scanning his face for clues. </p><p>Serkan couldn’t help himself and he broke out in a smile, pulling her further closer to him, completely ignorant of Ayfer still stood watching the two of them and kissed her. He tried to say everything he’d been unable to put into words into the kiss.</p><p>She put her arms around his neck and melted into him, he couldn’t get enough of her, felt like there was still too much distance between them. If he could, he would keep kissing her until the end of time. There had never been anything more perfect, he had never felt the way he did with anyone except Eda. </p><p>She pulled away before he did and Serkan rested his forehead against hers.</p><p>‘Please forgive me, I’m sorry. I love you, I love you so much. Can you forgive me? I’ll never leave you again. I am an idiot. The world’s biggest idiot. How could I forget you? You’re my everything Eda.’</p><p>She didn’t reply and Serkan saw tears falling from the corners of her closed eyes.</p><p>‘Please, please don’t cry Eda. Can you forgive me?’</p><p>She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, ‘I couldn’t do it Serkan,’ her hand came up to cup his cheek and he leaned into it, kissing her palm. ‘I couldn’t come into the office and see you looking at me like that. Like I could leave and you wouldn’t even care.’ </p><p>‘Eda!’ Serkan’s stomach turned at the thought. ‘Don’t ever, ever say anything like that again. You can’t leave me. Never. I’m not letting you out of my sight for a second, wherever I go, you go too. I’ll get the handcuffs out if I have to. Seni cok  cok seviyorum Eda Yildiz.’ </p><p>Eda smiled softly looking up at him, ‘duygularımız karşılıklı, Serkan Bolat.’</p><p>Serkan leaned in to kiss her again when he heard Ayfer clearing her throat.</p><p>‘Welcome back Serkan bey,’ she said smiling at them both.</p>
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